Problem-based learning is a student-centered process, it is the responsibility of the individual student to participate fully, not only for his or her own learning, but also to aid the learning of others in the group. Throughout the process of problem-based learning students are working together collaboratively in groups to solve a problem. In my PBL project students will work together collaboratively in groups to solve a problem or prove whether or not one of our ancient classics is indeed fact or fiction. Students will work together to devise a plan for gathering more information through research, completing the necessary research, and then meeting together as a group to develop a final argument and multimedia presentation to present their findings to the class. Students will spend the majority of the class time actively engaged in small group collaboration working on the PBL project.
The lessons and unit leading up to the PBL project will focus on the skills necessary for students to be successful with their collaboration on the PBL project. Students will have completed and been assessed on the classic, The Odyssey, before they begin their work on the PBL project. The lessons leading up the beginning of the project will teach the students the skills necessary to complete the PBL project. Students will learn researching skills, selecting the proper sources, determining what is a good source, MLA citation, and how to facilitate technology to assist them in this project. I will monitor their progress and make sure they are on task and have started their research in the right direction. I will also assign the students roles in the groups and provide organization so each group member has certain responsibilities within the group. I will make sure the students are educated and have access to the information they need in order to be successful on this project.
The research skills, search engines, and MLA formating and citations lessons provide students with prior knowledge and background information that is the essential frame work for the PBL unit. This knowledge is vital in the students success in the completion and research in the PBL project. Lessons A and B are designed to help the students prepare for the work that is coming with the project. The research skills are necessary for the students to use to discover evidence to solve the problem presented in the PBL unit.
The collaborative groups that I will include in my unit will be composed of three or four students. All of my classes are composed of English Language Learners so my rational for grouping my students in their collaborative groups will be based on my students' English language acquisition. Generally I will try and group my students with two group members with higher language acquisition test scores with two students who have lower English acquisition test scores. This way all of the students will be able to work together and speak the same language and the students with the higher language acquisition will be able to help the ones whose language skills are not that good. Students will be placed into groups also by their learning styles in school and what their strengths and weaknesses are across the content areas. The rationale is that all of the students will be able to contribute because of their own different talents and strengths that they bring to the group. They can assist the other students who may be weak in areas where the other students are strong.
The digital tools and websites that I am considering for collaboration within my unit are Skype, Google Doc, Stixy, and Elluminate.
www.skype.com (Great tool for collaboration. Allows you to make video and phone calls with anyone across the globe. Video and phone chat can be used to share and collaborate on the PBL project.)
docs.google.com (Provides students all over the globe access to documents being created for collaboration in class. Students have the ability to access and edit these documents. It is a good way for the students to combine everything they have been working on if they are unable to meet in person).
www.stixy.com (Provides a stixy board for students to collaborate with each other and organize their work. They have the opportunity to share work and files with each other using the common board for the group).
Each student in the group will be required to submit a copy of the finalproject to me when it is due. On the first day of the project each group member will receive a rubric that will outline the expectations and responsibilities for each of the group members. The group members will be held according to the expectations established within the rubric. I will also frequently monitor each of the groups to make sure each of the students is actively participating in the project. Students will also receive a group participation rubric that will evaluate how well they have participated within the project. Finally, when the project is complete the students will complete group evaluations on each of their fellow group members based on participation and the contributions to the group.
Collaboration
Problem-based learning is a student-centered process, it is the responsibility of the individual student to participate fully, not only for his or her own learning, but also to aid the learning of others in the group. Throughout the process of problem-based learning students are working together collaboratively in groups to solve a problem. In my PBL project students will work together collaboratively in groups to solve a problem or prove whether or not one of our ancient classics is indeed fact or fiction. Students will work together to devise a plan for gathering more information through research, completing the necessary research, and then meeting together as a group to develop a final argument and multimedia presentation to present their findings to the class. Students will spend the majority of the class time actively engaged in small group collaboration working on the PBL project.
The lessons and unit leading up to the PBL project will focus on the skills necessary for students to be successful with their collaboration on the PBL project. Students will have completed and been assessed on the classic, The Odyssey, before they begin their work on the PBL project. The lessons leading up the beginning of the project will teach the students the skills necessary to complete the PBL project. Students will learn researching skills, selecting the proper sources, determining what is a good source, MLA citation, and how to facilitate technology to assist them in this project. I will monitor their progress and make sure they are on task and have started their research in the right direction. I will also assign the students roles in the groups and provide organization so each group member has certain responsibilities within the group. I will make sure the students are educated and have access to the information they need in order to be successful on this project.
The research skills, search engines, and MLA formating and citations lessons provide students with prior knowledge and background information that is the essential frame work for the PBL unit. This knowledge is vital in the students success in the completion and research in the PBL project. Lessons A and B are designed to help the students prepare for the work that is coming with the project. The research skills are necessary for the students to use to discover evidence to solve the problem presented in the PBL unit.
The collaborative groups that I will include in my unit will be composed of three or four students. All of my classes are composed of English Language Learners so my rational for grouping my students in their collaborative groups will be based on my students' English language acquisition. Generally I will try and group my students with two group members with higher language acquisition test scores with two students who have lower English acquisition test scores. This way all of the students will be able to work together and speak the same language and the students with the higher language acquisition will be able to help the ones whose language skills are not that good. Students will be placed into groups also by their learning styles in school and what their strengths and weaknesses are across the content areas. The rationale is that all of the students will be able to contribute because of their own different talents and strengths that they bring to the group. They can assist the other students who may be weak in areas where the other students are strong.
The digital tools and websites that I am considering for collaboration within my unit are Skype, Google Doc, Stixy, and Elluminate.
www.skype.com (Great tool for collaboration. Allows you to make video and phone calls with anyone across the globe. Video and phone chat can be used to share and collaborate on the PBL project.)docs.google.com (Provides students all over the globe access to documents being created for collaboration in class. Students have the ability to access and edit these documents. It is a good way for the students to combine everything they have been working on if they are unable to meet in person).
www.stixy.com (Provides a stixy board for students to collaborate with each other and organize their work. They have the opportunity to share work and files with each other using the common board for the group).
http://www.elluminate.com/Services/Training/Elluminate_Live!/?id=418 (Provides effective tools for collaboration including meeting rooms, text messages, and virtual classrooms).
Each student in the group will be required to submit a copy of the final project to me when it is due. On the first day of the project each group member will receive a rubric that will outline the expectations and responsibilities for each of the group members. The group members will be held according to the expectations established within the rubric. I will also frequently monitor each of the groups to make sure each of the students is actively participating in the project. Students will also receive a group participation rubric that will evaluate how well they have participated within the project. Finally, when the project is complete the students will complete group evaluations on each of their fellow group members based on participation and the contributions to the group.